Gun Barrel City Government & EDC

Gun Barrel City runs on a familiar Texas municipal model — an elected mayor and city council overseeing local government — paired with an Economic Development Corporation that invests in the local economy. Understanding how the pieces fit together helps residents know where to turn and why the town operates the way it does.

City government structure

Gun Barrel City is governed by an elected mayor and a city council, the standard framework for Texas municipalities of its size. In this model, the council sets policy, adopts the budget, and passes local ordinances, while the mayor helps lead the council and represent the city. Council members typically serve fixed terms and are elected by residents, though the exact number of seats, term lengths, and any staggering of elections are governed by the city's charter and current policy. Texas municipalities operate as either general-law or home-rule cities depending largely on population, but in each case the mayor-and-council arrangement is designed to give residents a direct voice through regular local elections.

Because the specific individuals in office and the precise details of terms change with each election, this page describes the structure only in general terms. For the current mayor, council members, meeting schedules, and agendas, gunbarrelcity.gov is the authoritative source.

No city property tax

One defining feature of Gun Barrel City's finances is that it levies no city property tax. That's unusual for a Texas municipality and shapes how the city funds itself — leaning on other revenue sources, notably sales tax generated by the town's role as the retail and commercial hub for the Cedar Creek Lake area. Because so much of the budget rides on sales tax, the seasonal crowds who arrive for the lake — pushing the population past 10,000 from Memorial Day through Labor Day — effectively help fund year-round city services. For residents, the practical effect is a lighter overall tax burden, though county, school district, and other taxing-entity levies still apply. We cover what this means for household budgets in more detail in our relocation guide.

The Economic Development Corporation (EDC)

The Gun Barrel City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) is the entity charged with strengthening the local economy. It is funded by a quarter-cent (0.25%) sales tax — a dedicated portion of local sales tax revenue set aside specifically for economic development rather than general operations.

The EDC directs that funding toward recruiting and supporting employers in targeted sectors:

• Manufacturing
• Medical services
• Hospitality
• Distribution

These target sectors reflect the town's position as a regional hub: manufacturing and distribution add year-round jobs, medical services broaden local healthcare access, and hospitality builds on the tourism the lake already attracts. For a community whose population can more than double during boating season, investing in a durable, diversified economy is a sensible strategy.

Where to go for official services

For anything that requires acting on official city business — paying a municipal bill, applying for a permit, viewing council agendas, contacting a department, or finding the current elected officials — use the city's official website, gunbarrelcity.gov. As an independent guide, GunBarrel.City can explain how things generally work and help you get oriented, but we cannot process city transactions or speak for the municipal government.

If you're new to the area, it's worth pairing this page with our utilities and services guide for setting up water, power, and waste, and our Living Here hub for the bigger picture of daily life in Gun Barrel City. To learn how the town came to be and where the "We Shoot Straight With You" spirit comes from, see our history page.